Following the recommendation of Green Customs Workshop for Border enforcement Officers at the India-Nepal Border held in Sravasti, Uttar Pradesh, India on 30 November to 2 December 2009, Border Dialogue between Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Nepal on Monitoring and Controlling Trade in ODS was held in Chalsa, Jalpaguri, West Bengal, India during 7-8 April 2010. There were 32 participants from National Ozone Unit, the Customs administration and other border enforcement agencies from Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Nepal, and 7 resource persons from National Academy of Customs, Excise and Narcotics, India, World Customs Organization (WCO) Regional Intelligence Liaison Office for Asia and the Pacific  and GCI Partners coming from India and Nepal participated in the border dialogue and training programme for Customs officers and other border enforcement officers.

The meeting was inaugurated by Dr. B. P. Nilaratna, IAS, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Environment and Forest, India and Mr. Anil Bhatnagar, Director General of NACEN, India. Mr. Atul Bagai, Regional Coordinator, UNEP Ozonaction delivered the opening remarks.

The border dialogue was preceded by training Customs officers and other border officers. The training raised awareness of Customs Officers on their important role in protecting the ozone layer and preventing illegal trade in ozone-depleting substances (ODS) and informed on commonly used smuggling methods. The Montreal Protocol and its implementation in Parties, import and export management, regional and international enforcement efforts, and border management were introduced to Customs officers and border enforcement officers. In addition, information was exchanged and experience was shared between international organizations, national ozone officers and border enforcement agencies. The four participating countries took intensive discussion during the Dialogue to mobilize concerted actions and seek possibilities of mainstreaming zone issues in bilateral talks and meetings.

This Dialogue also brought about some 18 recommendations, including awareness raising, future capacity building programme, seized CFCs storage management,  HCFCs import and export management and operation on combating illegal trade in ODS, etc.

The meeting also agreed that countries would continue organizing bilateral dialogues with neighboring countries, upon threat analysis and border law enforcement needs. UNEP will facilitate such dialogues and provide necessary assistance in fight against illegal ODS trade to participating countries.